Portugal. The Man

Hailing from the stunning state of Alaska, Portugal. The Man plays warm progressive psych music that surely must make their home state cheer.  Now in Oregon, the band continues to put out tracks that I can't seem to remove from my brain.  To those tricky tympanic tones, Thanks.

Pinback

No matter the mood, Pinback knows how to even me out.  My ears positively crave the melodic nature of Rob Crow and Armistead Burwell Smith IV's arrangements.  It is like they figured out just the right amount of every musical element to keep me craving more.  Partake and enjoy the wonders of Pinback.

Le Who?

Anything new, different, funky, or folky is welcome at a chance to reduce my music hard drive space.  So goes it with these guys from D.C.  Le Loup represents one of my favorite discoveries.  I feel so rewarded and privileged to stumble on artists like Le Loup after hours of looking for something that suits my tastes.  Its great to know that there are still outstanding artists just waiting to be found!  "Forgive Me" is a track off of their sophomore album Family released in 2009.  It is one of the many standout tracks from this up-and-coming outfit.

Akron/Family: Weird/Psych Folk at its best!

I've been listening to Akron/Family for awhile now.  However, the first few spins of their music did not latch onto me right away.  After letting it simmer, I decided to give them another shot.  Boy was I wrong!  Years later, I'm glad I second guessed my original decision.  Though they will more than likely not appease fans of traditional radio tunes, Akron/Family delivers to those who long for a fresh mindset and unpredictable music that delivers.  Don't believe me?  Check out "There's So Many Colors" off of their 2007 album Love Is Simple.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Mr . Bobby Dylan.

They just don't make artists like Bob Dylan anymore.  It's hard to find an artist nowadays that can squeeze so much emotion and goodness in a song for me to actually believe that a) they wrote it and b) they haven't used every gadget, widget, and gidget possible to make a track sound like something they couldn't produce themselves.  Just take the once unreleased song, "I'm Not There".  In his wild and exploratory times, he had an eagerness to play music that unavoidably persuades pure pleasure.  Recorded in 1967 with The Band for a release called the Basement Tapes, this track never made it past its first recording.  To me, the unadulterated and raw nature of this track is what draws me to it over and over.  It's a shame it took me as long as it did for me to introduce this song to my ear canal.  Enjoy!